Tag Archives: Tokyo bathhouses

For the Japanese, there is nothing more natural than sitting butt-naked with total strangers and having a good old scrub down before relaxing in a steaming hot bath. For Westerners, the whole concept may seem bizarre, confronting or just plain hilarious, but it really is worthwhile trying to put these perceptions to one side and allowing yourself to unabashedly take the plunge.

Bathhouses play an essential role in Japanese culture and are used extensively to wash, relax and socialize. No mere bathhouse can call itself an onsen (hot spring), however. Only baths containing water from a natural spring that gushes or is pumped at more than 25°C can lay claim to this title.